How can American boxing rebuild itself?

Really good material, thanks everyone.

 

Figure out what Dana White did right and replicate. UFC isn't the only MMA game around, but right now it's the best around.

And Kirk is right about McMahon. Say what you want about wrestling, but watch one show and tell me the production values for a live program aren't top notch, whether the action is scripted or not.

Plus, we need the next great American heavyweight to capture the public eye. In a good way.

 

Another thought - have "tournaments" in Europe, Asia, North and South America and "other" - all five champions of each area, plus a wild card or three battle it out at the end of the year ala - the world cup.

 

Boxing needs to have people stop comparing it to MMA and UFC. The fans are not the same, and boxing is not going to take away the fans who think the new stuff is edgy. Let's start understanding that not everyone loves MMA and UFC. There are still lots of people who will prefer boxing -- if the sport stops shooting itself in the foot.

It needs a generation to change the climate. Get one governing group in charge, and it must be vigilant to ease boxing away from the promoter-strong footprint. If you can't get the sport freed from shady interests, or at least the appearance of shady interests, that will always hang over pro boxing like a black cloud.

Standardize the rules. You don't need South Dakota to have different rules than Maryland.

Find something better than Versus to televise a weekly card with some REAL talent. MAKE PERSONALITIES. And push young American heavyweights, for the reasons aforementioned.

 

The article came out very nice. Thanks everyone. Here is the link if anyone cares to check it out. But you really don't have to because every comment in the article is here (no self promoting).

http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/sports-journalists-contemplate-how-to-re-ignite-americas-interest-in-boxing/

if so many more good comments keep posting, will have to do a Part 2. Thanks again everyone.

 

I agree with this. MMA and UFC are too violent for my tastes and I know there are a lot of people who agree with me.

 

Wow.

 

Did you get paid for that copy and paste article?

 

Hey, he credited. I have no problem with that.

 

Right, but there's a difference between what you think of the action once the bell rings and the business models. The two sports might draw different audiences, but the business comparison between the two is absolutely valid. Dana White took a lot of what was wrong with the boxing model and fixed it, from the alphabet soup titles to putting enough good fights on basic cable to lure people to the PPVs to giving the fans a deep undercard. All that stuff translates across both boxing and MMA. One is getting it right and the other isn't.

 

And along the way in pointing out what MMA did right and boxing did wrong in the business model, the argument got blurred. It became about sport vs. sport. And that should not have happened. Apples and oranges.

 

Well, boxing's most recent heyday in the U.S. (about 1964 until the early 1980s) had catalysts that are unlikely to be replicated. A Clay/Ali isn't likely to be coming through that door again to raise the tide for everyone. A boxing movie that puts the sport in a good light and captures the public imagination (a la Rocky of course) can't be counted on to show up, and to make stars like Sean O'Grady and Ray Mancini in the non-heavyweight classes. And of course, we're not going back to a three-network world, and a world where only one baseball game was broadcast on a Saturday afternoon, giving the boxing on CBS and ABC a wide audience.

And it'll take decades for the sport to get rid of the King/Arum stench.